Cards with reading lenses

• US 6,390,372 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Waters
• Original Assignee: Michael Waters
• Inventors: Waters, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Pitts, Harold I.
• Application Number:
  US09/797,398
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/488
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/005 the record carrier comprising an arrangement to facilitate insertion into a holding device, e.g. an arrangement that makes the record carrier fit into an etui or a casing ticket holders A45C11/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier

Abstract

A reading card is provided including at least one reading lens which is smaller in size than the card member and is carried thereby. The card member has the size of a typical credit card such that it can be readily fit into the sleeve or holder used for these cards in wallets, and the like. Preferably, the lens is of a material and configuration so that it is provided with a well-defined or sharp diopter rating to allow a user to select among reading cards each with different diopter lenses for their particular needs. The lenses are carried by the card member so that additional space is left thereon for placement of, for example, indicia and a magnetic strip such as in credit, debit, and phone cards.

Claims

1. A small reading card for fitting in a wallet or the like, the card comprising:

a thin card member having opposite parallel surfaces with predetermined spacing therebetween under approximately {fraction (1/16)}″

, the card member being of a predetermined material so that the card member is substantially rigid;

a plurality of outer edges of the card member and having a predetermined length and width with the length being approximately twice that of the width for defining a generally rectangular configuration for the card member;

at least one inner edge of the card member distinct from the outer edges; and

a reading lens having a predetermined configuration to provide the lens with a well-defined diopter rating, the lens being bounded by the inner edge for being carried by the card member to allow the card to be used for reading via viewing through the lens.

2. The card of claim 1 wherein the reading lens has opposite smooth surfaces having predetermined spacing therebetween to provide the lens with a thickness substantially equal to or slightly greater than that of the card member.

3. The card of claim 1 wherein the reading lens includes an outer periphery that is spaced from the card member outer edges.

4. The card of claim 1 wherein the reading lens has at least one outer peripheral edge, and the card member inner edge and the reading lens outer peripheral edge have a snap-fit interface therebetween.

5. The card of claim 4 wherein the reading lens has an outer obround configuration and the card member at least one inner edge has a complementary obround configuration corresponding to that of the reading lens obround edge.

6. The card of claim 1 wherein the card member includes a magnetic strip coded with predetermined information for being read by a card reader.

7. The card of claim 1 wherein the card member includes raised indicia formed integrally in at least one of the opposite parallel surfaces for transferring information from the card to another substrate.

8. The card of claim 1 wherein the diopter rating of the reading lens is one of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5.

9. The card of claim 1 wherein the reading lens includes a pair of reading lenses adjacent one of the long edges of the card, and

a bridge notch in the one long edge generally disposed intermediate the pair of lenses.

10. The card of claim 1 wherein the card member includes a low profile light source and power source electrically connected to the light source for emitting light to illuminate the viewing area through the lens.

11. The card of claim 1 wherein the card member includes a low profile voice recorder/playback device integrated therein including switches on one of the card surfaces for activating recording and playback functions of the device.

12. The card of claim 1 wherein the card includes a low profile keyboard including a plurality of numeric keys and mathematic function keys on one of the card surfaces for performing calculator functions, and

a low profile LCD panel mounted to the one card surface to display data input via the numeric keys and results of calculations via the mathematic function keys.

13. A reading card comprising:

a rectangular, relatively rigid card member;

a window in the card member;

a reading lens having a predetermined size for fitting in the card member window;

a groove formed about one of the card member window and the reading lens; and

an interfitting edge formed about the other of the card member window and the reading lens sized for being snap-fit in the groove to allow the card to be used for enhanced viewing through the lens thereof.

14. The reading card of claim 13 wherein the card member has top and bottom parallel surfaces and the reading lens has corresponding top and bottom surfaces so that with the reading lens snap fit in the card member window the top surface of the card member is slightly recessed from the reading lens top surface and the bottom surface of the card member is slightly recessed from the reading lenses bottom surface to provide the reading lens with a thickness greater than that of the card member.

15. The reading card of claim 14 wherein one of the card top and bottom surfaces has letters or numbers integrally pressed therein to be raised over the one card surface.

16. The reading card of claim 13 wherein the card member has a predetermined approximately 3 inches and a predetermined width of approximately 2 inches.

17. The reading card of claim 16 in combination with a small holder therefor sized for use with a wallet.

18. The reading card of claim 13 wherein the reading lens is of a material that is light refractive with a predetermined diopter rating.

19. The reading card of claim 18 wherein the reading lens has smooth opposite surfaces for refracting light therethrough.

20. The reading card of claim 13 wherein the groove and the interfitting edge include cam surface portions that cooperate to provide the snap fit between the lens and the card member.

21. The reading card of claim 20 wherein the card member has parallel opposite surfaces and the cam surface portions are oriented oblique to the card member surfaces.

22. The reading card of claim 13 including a light source mounted to the card member at a predetermined position thereon relative to the reading lens for illuminating the viewing area provided by the lens.